Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Five reasons to knit hand painted yarn

There are probably a lot more than five reasons to knit hand painted yarn but let's face it: we're busy people! and there's knitting to be done.

1. It is beautiful.  You know?  All those subtle variations in colour - it couldn't ever, ever be called 'flat'.

hand painted yarn
2. You don't always have to choose tiny projects or switch between two balls because of the subtle variations in colour that make it really super obvious if you only switch yarns when one runs out.


Not having to work two yarn strands at once is a big attraction to major processed yarns, but another option is to emphasize the super obvious by going to a contrasting colour when the first one runs out.



3. It's got love in it.  Seriously: an actual human person touched just about every part of that hand painted yarn in the process of dyeing and drying and reskeining it, for which you have to love the work.  The love comes all the way through to the knitter, and beyond  (or maybe it's the love you have for the hand painted yarn that goes beyond.  it's still love.)


4. It's going to make you happy.  And what you make with it is going to make you happy too.  Why leave happiness untouched in your yarn stash when it could be out on your needles on its way to you?


5. It's maybe not going to be available forever.  sigh.  So you want to find out as soon as you buy it whether you love working with it and need to buy lots more lest that handpainter move on to another creative outlet before you can do that.

(yep, the only Viola yarns you can get now are from somebody who planned ahead, or from the remains of the Etsy shop.  fortunately I had a pretty good idea I would love this yarn and did buy a lot over the last couple of years; still, looking at this?  I so wish I'd bought more brights!)


Project: Sugared Violets by Rose Beck

Yarn: sport-weight merino/cashmere/nylon in 'Thistle' by Viola (aka the brilliant Emily)

Purpose: a driving-trip switchup from sock knitting

End Use: with luck and diligence, a jaunty scarf for Easter Sunday

Panics: I didn't use the caston I was supposed to, and that bit is now pulling rather a lot...

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